Services

Yacht Selection Consultation

Choosing and preparing the right yacht requires expertise that goes beyond brochures and boat shows. I provide comprehensive consultation services to ensure your yacht perfectly matches you and your sailing ambitions and cruising style. It's about understanding how that vessel will perform in your specific cruising scenarios and lifestyle requirements.

Cruising Destinations and Performance

For either ocean voyaging or coastal cruising, I believe a yacht needs the same sailing characteristics and fit-out: safety, comfort, and consideration of all points of sail performance. Arguably, a coastal cruiser needs better and more well-rounded sailing characteristics than a voyaging yacht. Land and its nearby structures present more dangers than the open ocean in most circumstances. A yacht with very good performance—upwind, downwind, or reaching—will better keep you safe in coastal cruising or ocean voyaging scenarios.

Your destinations also influence yacht choice significantly. How much space do you need for stores, water, fuel, and spare parts? Will you be mostly tradewind sailing or beating to windward? Will you be sailing in cold or warm climates? These factors directly influence vessel selection.

Lifestyle, Crew, and Ability Assessment

Are you active? What are your gear requirements—bikes, diving equipment, mountaineering and ski gear, live-aboard necessities— these all shape storage needs and affect vessel choice. Dinghy size and storage capabilities often determine your ability to explore effectively, or handle the day to day chores required of a voyaging sailor.

Crew configuration matters enormously. Solo sailors might need different deck layouts than those with regular crew. Privacy requirements and storage for safety gear scale with crew size. Age and mobility considerations can make features like pilot houses or side entry, vs two sided entry, vs front entry (V-birth) style bunks and quarters important considerations.

What are your sailing abilities? Can you handle hank-on sails or two-headsail boats? Do you need all lines leading to the cockpit? Wheel or tiller preference? These aren't just preferences—they're critical safety considerations affecting how you'll handle challenging conditions.

Yacht Fit-Out and Preparation

Proper preparation transforms a boat into a safe, capable, comfortable, cruising yacht. My first consideration for safety is eliminating fatigue, I believe it to be the bane of any safe voyage. I'll guide you through everything you need to know about the fit-out and preparation of your vessel for coastal or ocean voyaging, ensuring safe, comfortable, practical sailing adventures.

Comprehensive Systems Integration

We'll work through your vessel stem to stern, above and below decks, creating integrated systems that work seamlessly together. Navigation and communication equipment, power generation, water systems, safety equipment, weather protection, and comfort systems must function as a cohesive whole. A boat is like a woodshop, or a kitchen, it needs to all function cohesively to be safe and productive. Beyond selecting equipment, I’ll consult you on the tools and skills you’ll need for independent maintenance and problem-solving while cruising.

Work and Repair Consultation

Not every project deserves the same priority, and I believe few, if any require professional intervention. I am a firm believer in knowing how to repair, prepare, install, and trouble shoot every critical system on your boat, within reason. We will assess your vessels condition, take the projects in order of importance, and learn how to approach each project systematically and practically. It's understanding scope, sequence, and realistic timelines for effective completion. We'll identify what tools you need for your specific vessel and comfort level, ensuring you're tooled-up for both routine maintenance and for every working aspect of your boat. Both during fit-out, and while voyaging.

Ready to Find Your Perfect Cruising Yacht?

Selecting and preparing a yacht for serious cruising requires experience and understanding of how boats perform in real-world conditions. Let's discuss your sailing plans and ensure your next vessel will take you safely and comfortably wherever you want to explore.

Contact me to schedule your consultation and begin your voyaging sojourne.